DJI Mini 3: Leaks, Upgrades, Release Date, and Pricing

DJI’s lineup of mini drones has become increasingly popular since they are under the 250g weight limit for registration and are still amazing drones. The DJI Mini was good, the DJI Mini 2 was better, and the DJI Mini 3 is expected to be fantastic!

Release date of the DJI Mini 3

Rumors are everywhere about the possible release of the DJI Mini 3. There is still no confirmed DJI Mini 3 release date, but a tweet from @DealsDrone suggests it will be released some time around April 2022 based on a leaked DJI release plan and previous DJI releases. 

Why are the DJI mini drones so great?

DJI designed the Mavic Mini to come under the 250g threshold for drones, making it exempt from some drone flying regulations, such as registration. The low weight and small form factor meant users could invest in a drone that was extremely portable, safer to fly, while still being able to capture high quality footage.

DJI Mini improvement history

There were some aspects of the original DJI Mini that frustrated consumers. WiFi was the only option for the radio link, and it had a lower quality camera than DJI users were used to.

The Mini 2 set out to fix these issues. It used a new video system instead of WiFi and a higher quality camera. The Mini 2 came with the ability to zoom in and had upgraded motors, helping to lower the noise level of the drone, while also giving it more power and control in the air. 

These improvements made the Mini 2 one of the most popular and reliable drones that DJI has ever manufactured, and is why the DJI Mini 3 could be the most popular drone of 2022. 

Possible DJI Mini 3 Improvements

There are no for-sure details yet on the improvements that we might see on the Mini 3, but since DJI has released the original mini and the DJI mini 2, we can expect a lot of drone in a small package from the DJI Mini 3. 

The Mini 2 was a massive improvement over the original DJI Mini, and the DJI mini 3 is expected to be a massive improvement over the Mini 2 with better range, lossless zoom, a bigger camera sensor,  obstacle avoidance, and a competitive price. 

Camera Upgrade

Improving the Mini 3 with a bigger sensor is the most logical thing for DJI to do. Having more sensor size results in better video, and if the Mini 3 could shoot in 4k/60 FPS it would attract a much wider audience than the previous Mini 2.

Lossless Zoom is another great improvement seen in other DJI drones. It would allow for closer shots from further away, and this improvement would make the Mini 3 even better for taking photos and video.

Range

We are not expecting to see a larger capacity battery, because of the weight limitation of 250 grams. 

DJI’s video system in the Mini 2 already has a range of about 10km, which is more than sufficient. An upgrade to OcuSync 3.0 would could make the transmission link more reliable, but probably won’t increase its max range. 

Obstacle Avoidance

One major drawback of the Mini 2 is the lack of obstacle avoidance. Obstacle avoidance will probably be included on the Mini 3 because the Zino Mini Pro from Hubsan already has obstacle avoidance, and DJI needs to get obstacle avoidance in their mini line as well to keep up with the competition.

Follow Me

A great drone feature is the ability to follow something like a person on a run, a boat, or a car. This allows for great shots, and is seen on many of DJI’s drones but has not been included in the Mini line. 

If the Follow Me feature is included in the DJI mini 3, this would make it a no-brainer upgrade if you already own the Mini 2. 

Price

The improvements in the Mini 3 will most likely make the price a little higher. The Mini 2 retails for $449 USD, so it makes sense that the Mini 3 will come in around $499-$549 USD.

If you don’t want wait until the Mini 3 is released, you can buy the Mini 2 here.

Conclusion

If the possibilities of a camera upgrade, obstacle avoidance, and follow me are true, the DJI Mini 3 would be a definite upgrade over the Mini 2, and an easy buy in 2022.  We would love to know what you would like to see from the Mini 3, so make sure to comment down and tell us what you think!